Has your organization done something out-of-the-ordinary with your volunteer program? Have you witnessed new trends or conducted research around volunteerism? Are you simply a volunteer engagement rockstar?

Don’t keep all that knowledge to yourself! VolunteerMatch is asking nonprofit professionals, academics, and/ or volunteers with something to share to submit session proposals for our Nonprofit Insights Webinar series.

Topics should relate to the webinar’s mission of building a better world through volunteerism. Some examples of overarching topics include: volunteer program manager empowerment, engaging volunteers through social media, setting up a virtual volunteer program, fundraising strategy, engaging skilled volunteers, corporate-nonprofit partnerships, etc.

By presenting at a Nonprofit Insights Webinar, you will be a voice in the community of nonprofits at VolunteerMatch – they’ll benefit from your knowledge, experience and opinions. Plus, promotional outreach to our massive networks will get your name and your topic in front of a wide audience. Finally, it will be fun, we promise!

A senior trying yoga for the first time. A bobcat that can’t go back into the wild being cared for. A brother and sister strengthening their English skills after school.

These vastly different activities have one thing in common. They’re made possible by the passion of volunteers.

At VolunteerMatch, we make it easy for good people and good causes to connect. With our network of 100,000+ organizations, it’s no surprise that VolunteerMatch has connected close to 10 million volunteers with causes that light them up.

However, since these initial connections happen online, we don’t always get to see firsthand the impact of these numerous connections – the impact on the volunteers themselves, the organizations they volunteer with, and the communities they serve.

That’s why we went out into our own community to see what volunteers who found their connections through VolunteerMatch were up to.

The results are truly moving.

In this short video, you’ll meet Louise, Sandra and Hannah, three volunteers making a big difference, each in their own unique way. We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed creating it!

Your board of directors. They are responsible for the governance of your organization. They are also volunteers.

It’s an unfortunate truth that many nonprofit organizations struggle to effectively attract and engage board members. And for good reason – it’s not an easy task!

But before you start asking, “Why are there no good board members out there?!” take a look internally. Are you making these all-to-common mistakes with your board?

1. Be Vague About the Commitment Level

I once knew someone named Don. Don’s good friend was starting a nonprofit whose mission was to bring more culture and art into their small community. Don’s friend said, “Don’t worry – it won’t be much work. I just need bodies.” Don didn’t have much of an interest in the topic, but he wanted to be a good friend. So, despite being busy raising his two daughters and working full time, Don said yes.

You can probably guess how this ends: It actually was a lot of work, and Don didn’t have the time or the interest. He left the board a year later with both his and his friend’s time wasted.

For some organizations, the only requirement for being on the board is writing a big check once a year. But is this the norm? No. Most nonprofits are small, volunteer-run groups who benefit by having active and engaged board members. If you think, “I just need to get someone in the door, and then I’ll get them interested,” then think again.

2. Don’t Ask for Monetary or Fundraising Support

“She already does so much for us. We can’t ask her for money, too.”

I heard this once at a nonprofit I was working with. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s time to revisit your outlook on your supporters. In fact, people who donate time to your organization are much more likely to donate money, too, when compared with those who do not volunteer for you. Why? Because when you’re as invested in an organization’s success as you should be when you’re a board member, you’ll likely do what’s in your means to help the organization succeed – including a monetary donation. And often, the only barrier between a donation and no donation is the courage to ask for one.

3. Keep All the Responsibility to Yourself

It’s no secret: People want to feel useful. Spending hours at a board meeting and not feeling like you’re personally accomplishing anything is a sure-fire recipe for disengagement. I know I would rather spend 3 hours working on a project that matters than 1 hour simply nodding my head and participating in a few votes.

It’s okay to give up the reigns to your board members here and there. You might be surprised at how a disengaged board member does a 180 when given a little responsibility using the unique skills they bring to the table.

4. Choose Board Members Who Don’t Reflect the Community You Serve

Diversity is always the ideal – not just on a board, but in virtually any setting. A variety of opinions coming from a range of worldviews is key to progress. But when you’re striving for diversity, ask yourself one critical question: “Does anyone on our board actually share experiences, values, and interests with the community we’re serving?”

Imagine how much more effective a hunger-fighting organization could be if someone on the board actually experienced what it’s like to go hungry? You’ll get insights you simply can’t get through research.

One way to increase diversity on your board is to reach outside of your networks. Post your board openings on VolunteerMatch.org with the cause tag “Board Development.” Remember to be as descriptive as possible about the commitment level and the type of board member you’re seeking.

Do you have advice to share on creating an effective and engaged board of directors? Share them in the comments below, or tweet to us @VolunteerMatch.

Unless you’re part of an 18% minority, the answer is yes. And these events come with a myriad of upfront costs and planning time.

So, how do you know if you’re making the most of your events?

A new report from nonprofit technology review firm Software Advice researched eight types of common fundraising events and their return on investment. What did they find? For one thing, fun runs and walks had the highest return on investment, particularly for midsize and large nonprofits. Check it out:

However, the report also shines light on an interesting, and potentially overlooked fact: Fundraising events are about building relationships with your nonprofit and its cause. More important than the amount of money you raise in a single day, fundraising events can lead to long term donations to, awareness of, and loyalty to your nonprofit.

And incorporating volunteers into your events is a great way to make the most of this relationship building potential.

Let’s break this down.

Many event attendees are already volunteers, in a sense.

Many attendees of fundraising events, especially fun runs and walks, are what I like to call multi-level supporters. What does this mean? Folks that attend these events are not just giving a monetary donation. They’re giving you their time. And some are giving more time than others.

Putting together a basket for an auction. Reaching out to friends for pledges. Publicizing and generating interest in the event. The people doing these things are volunteering their time to grow your event. And these are the people that may be interested in doing more next time around.

One-time event attendees have the potential to turn into loyal supporters.

Sometimes, attending an event may be the first touch point between a potential long-term supporter and your organization. Don’t squander this opportunity. Create what Software Advice calls “transformational” events.

Katherine Wertheim, principal at Werth-It Consulting, says, “By the end of an event, guests should be able to tell you about the nonprofit, its cause and why they should care about it. If they can’t do that, you’ve missed out.”

Attendees that loved your event, and especially those mentioned above as multi-level supporters, are the perfect group to reach out to when looking for volunteers for your next event.

46K+ volunteers list event planning as a skill on their VolunteerMatch profiles.

Volunteers don’t only attend events. They help build them.

Rather than only posting volunteer roles that include day of set-up and participation, consider involving volunteers through the whole process. Over 46,000 volunteers list “event planning” as a skill on their VolunteerMatch profiles, and a whopping 97% of millennials prefer to use their skills when volunteering, according to the 2014 Millennial Impact Report.

Yes, a fundraising event can raise you a lot of money. But if you do it right, it can also raise your supporters to the next level, and build relationships that will last for years to come.